My aim here was to find a range of stores locally to me and see what they decide to stock or create with the theme of insects in mind. I started my search online in Cardiff, producing a list of around 20 names that I wanted to look into. I also tried my home area, Llandovery, Llandeilo, and also tried some more Welsh towns I have visited before on holidays.
The main problem I encountered with online searching rather than walking around and discovering these small boutique style shops was that often they do not have a fully functional website, they have a brief overview of their product lines or collections, and usual shop information, but sometimes not a comprehensive shop set-up to view all the products they have available. Another problem I came across was with the current coronavirus shut down, some shops have closed their whole websites as well as their shops, which meant I could not even browse anything they had available online.
Lunacy is based in Port Talbot and is described as a quirky fashion boutique, while it focuses on women’s fashion, it also stocks jewellery and accessories, which I was particularly interested in, finding a few that used insects as inspiration. The ladybird necklace is quite bold, while I thought I would find some jewellery, I expected more like the butterfly studs, using the basic shape and form of the creature but not sticking to the colour scheme, giving it quite an elegant look. The purses are quite simple and colourful, the bugs are beaded on so the shape is quite detailed for beadwork that small. Overall I think this shows that the colour and shape are inspiration points for other designers.
Llandeilo is a small welsh town fairly local to me, I went to school there, and spent a lot of free time there with friends, exploring the countryside and looking at the small bespoke shops. The Cuckoo’s Nest is a giftshop who pride themselves on unique products that avoid the mainstream rush of the big retail stores that we are used to. These two insect necklaces are both unusual and interesting. The butterfly in the top image is used as quite a clear colour and shape motif, and the one below of a moth focuses more on the shape and texture of the wing, while maintaining a smooth silver finish.
Goose Island began in 1993, inspired by the director’s visits to India and the amazing collections of colours, patterns and fabric that the country has to offer. Based in Swansea, the company has branches in Llandeilo, Mumbles in Swansea, and Cowbridge. They describe their clothing as fashionable and affordable and also offer accessories and bags. I found a scarf with an insect inspired pattern which I thought was nice, but very simple and girly, which is not to my taste as I think it looks quite childish. The jewellery as well was inspired by insects, but simply using the shape and form to create them with the metal, creating an elegant effect to them overall.
Online research was useful, but had I had extra time on this when the shops reopened, I thought about how I could walk and visit a great deal of them in Cardiff, Swansea and even my local Carmarthenshire area. I could take the time here to talk to owners and employees about previous ranges and whether they could notice styles and trends.
Tahlia Paige 